First I'd like to say thanks to the admin folks here at BFS. I was almost mad with anxiety awaiting the approval of my registration with the site. This is an awesome resource for those seeking to liberate the poor oppressed feet of the english speaking "developed" nations. Thanks for keeping the lines of communication open!
As a newcomer to thepractice of barefoot, or forestrike,running I recognized the need for more information on the process of transitioning. Maybe this says more about my research skills than aboutthe amount of info on the subject, but I sure found it hard to encounterdetailed andconsistent accounts ofthe transition experience. It also makes sense considering the relative novelty of barefoot running in modern society. Inspired by my own frustrated efforts, I decided to provide whatever info I could on my own transition for those that follow after me. I understand that the experience will be distinct for every runner,that in this process we need to be comfortable with uncertainty,and most of all listen to our OWNbodies rather than our ideal training schedule for the upcoming marathon. However, the few anecdotalaccounts of the transition that I have come accross have proven quitecomforting andhelpful in my own journey to barefoot bliss. Over the next 6 months I hope to provide a similar resource to other aspiring barefoot runners so they may have a better understanding of what to expect and perhaps learn from my mistakes.
So, be forwarned, if this introduction has made your head hurt worse than your calves, it'll onlyget worse. I'll try to spice it up, but for the next six months this blog willprimarily resemble a training log. I'll record my mileage and the generalmethod behind that madness so that other runners may follow it with their own appropriate rate of progression.
Here's a little about my running history:
I ran four years of cross country in highschool and haven't run regularly since then (that was about 5 years ago).
In my last year of highschool I tore my meniscus and have struggled with that injury until this past february.
I've managed a few failed attempts to transition over the past few years. Once, upon first reading about barefoot running in 2008, my excitement and lack of knowledge powered me through a 3 mile run on nothing but the balls of my feet. Needless to say, I my calves were sore, from heel to knee, for the next week. I left it at that until about two years later when I decided to train for a marathon. This was a truly humbling experience. Until that point I'd always seen myself as a "runner." I always assumed thata certain level of fitness has stayed with me from my cross country years, but I was sorely mistaken (no pun intended). I began at the beginning of an intermediate marathon training plan, one of those generic ones from RW. I also intended to transition simultaneously to forestrike running. Luckily my torn meniscus stopped me from running before I could do any serious damage (at about the same time I had developed a moderate case of achilles tendonitis).
So, after my (hopefully final) mesicus surgery I decided to return to running slowly and transition responsibly. But old ways die hard; I managed to get myself on a reasonable marathon training plan, yet increase my barefoot mileage without any management. I wish we humans weren't so stubborn, I wish that cheap lessons worked just as well as the expensive ones, but they don't. Luckily, I had been sidelined with serious injuries sufficiently often to make this lesson stick. I realized my mistake without suffering significant damage and here I am... Finally ready to begin my barefoot transition.
As a newcomer to thepractice of barefoot, or forestrike,running I recognized the need for more information on the process of transitioning. Maybe this says more about my research skills than aboutthe amount of info on the subject, but I sure found it hard to encounterdetailed andconsistent accounts ofthe transition experience. It also makes sense considering the relative novelty of barefoot running in modern society. Inspired by my own frustrated efforts, I decided to provide whatever info I could on my own transition for those that follow after me. I understand that the experience will be distinct for every runner,that in this process we need to be comfortable with uncertainty,and most of all listen to our OWNbodies rather than our ideal training schedule for the upcoming marathon. However, the few anecdotalaccounts of the transition that I have come accross have proven quitecomforting andhelpful in my own journey to barefoot bliss. Over the next 6 months I hope to provide a similar resource to other aspiring barefoot runners so they may have a better understanding of what to expect and perhaps learn from my mistakes.
So, be forwarned, if this introduction has made your head hurt worse than your calves, it'll onlyget worse. I'll try to spice it up, but for the next six months this blog willprimarily resemble a training log. I'll record my mileage and the generalmethod behind that madness so that other runners may follow it with their own appropriate rate of progression.
Here's a little about my running history:
I ran four years of cross country in highschool and haven't run regularly since then (that was about 5 years ago).
In my last year of highschool I tore my meniscus and have struggled with that injury until this past february.
I've managed a few failed attempts to transition over the past few years. Once, upon first reading about barefoot running in 2008, my excitement and lack of knowledge powered me through a 3 mile run on nothing but the balls of my feet. Needless to say, I my calves were sore, from heel to knee, for the next week. I left it at that until about two years later when I decided to train for a marathon. This was a truly humbling experience. Until that point I'd always seen myself as a "runner." I always assumed thata certain level of fitness has stayed with me from my cross country years, but I was sorely mistaken (no pun intended). I began at the beginning of an intermediate marathon training plan, one of those generic ones from RW. I also intended to transition simultaneously to forestrike running. Luckily my torn meniscus stopped me from running before I could do any serious damage (at about the same time I had developed a moderate case of achilles tendonitis).
So, after my (hopefully final) mesicus surgery I decided to return to running slowly and transition responsibly. But old ways die hard; I managed to get myself on a reasonable marathon training plan, yet increase my barefoot mileage without any management. I wish we humans weren't so stubborn, I wish that cheap lessons worked just as well as the expensive ones, but they don't. Luckily, I had been sidelined with serious injuries sufficiently often to make this lesson stick. I realized my mistake without suffering significant damage and here I am... Finally ready to begin my barefoot transition.
